Tag Archives: summer intensive

Gary Flannery is here teaching the Fosse style of jazz this makes Gary’s 10th year coming to teach at Imagine Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensives. He will also grace the stage Friday Night at 7:00 with Mr. Bojangles a role the Bob Fosse originally choreographed for him on Broadway. He is also, staging his choreography that he had done for Shirley McClain’s show “If my Friends could see me now”.

Remember the friends you lost when you couldn’t go to a birthday party

Remember the way you felt on stage

Remember the way you feel when you dance

Remember seeing pictures of your friends doing things without you

The way you feel when your toes leave the ground.

Dance is striving for perfection

Dance is a feeling like no other

Struggle,pain,freedom,laughter,sorrow,peace,serenity,frustration.

Are words of dance

Passion is the mother of dance

Passion is the key to success

Passion is frustration

Passion is pain

Passion is love

Passion is dance

Oswaldo Muniz, from New York City, has been teach technique, variations, and a new ballet he has created for the dancers while here at Imagine Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive 2015.

Ashley Beckwith

Striving to be that one Ballerina

Striving to be that one ballerina

The one who’s ready to show what she can do on stage

The one who dances with passion and draws the audience up to the stage

The one who keeps on trying and pushing herself forward

She dances with her heart to show her love towards dance

She dances with her eyes to show how much confidence she can have

When she’s performing, she always makes her part come to life

And that’s what inspires others to want to become a dancer too

A Life for a Ballerina

By Sonya Kryzhanovsky (10 years old)

A life for a ballerina is when your dream came true,

Something your mind and body is ready and wants to do,

That you will try and NEVER give up,

Something that you will get good at,

And always love and appreciate what your, friends, family, and teachers do for you to be a good ballerina.

Phyllis Rothwell Affrunti is the featured guest teacher this week at Imagine Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive. She is currently a Principal dancer at Idaho Ballet and the Artistic Director of the Boise Dance Co-op a contemporary dance company.

This is the beginning of our inspirational art work that each dancer is creating and then choreographing from. We have only laid down the backgrounds so far. Should be a very interesting process.

Christina began her training at the age of five in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At 11 she was accepted to train at the Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet where she was able to perform at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia with the Pennsylvania Ballet. In high school Ms. Stockdale also trained at the Academy of International Ballet and performed with International Ballet Classique.

After graduation high school in 2005, Christina Stockdale accepted a position at Manassas Ballet Theatre in Manassas Virginia. While she was there she performed as a soloist in many ballets including Mina in Dracula, The Butterfly in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Snow Queen and Flower Soloist in The Nutcracker and many others.

After two seasons with MBT, Ms. Stockdale decided to move cross country and dance for a ballet company in Washington state: Ballet Bellevue. Ms. Stockdale spent four years with the company as a principal dancer and teaching in the school. She also directed and choreographed several Ballet Bellevue School productions. Her featured roles while in the company were: Aurora and Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty, Jack Frost in the Ballet Bellevue premiere of The Snowman, Sugar Plum and Snow Queen in The Nutcracker and many others including contemporary choreography by Stacy Lowenberg, Kabby Mitchell III, Jennifer Porter, Keith Derrick Randolph and Angela Sterling.

In 2011, Ms. Stockdale auditioned and was accepted as a company member in Nevada Ballet Theatre. While she was with the company she worked with world famous ballerina Cynthia Gregory and Tara Keating on Georege Balanchine’s Serenade. She also performed with Cirque du Soleil in an NBT Cirque du Soleil collaboration.

At the end of the season in 2012, Ms. Stockdale left Nevada Ballet Theatre and decided to pursue other areas of dance in the fabulous Las Vegas and auditioned and got a job dancing ten shows per week in the now longest running show on the strip: Tournament of Kings at Excalibur.

This year Ms. Stockdale followed her husband to Ogden UT when he was transferred to the military base here. She continues to work at the show as a swing whenever she is in Las Vegas and also guest performs with several ballet companies including Las Vegas Ballet Company, and Kelly Roth Dancers.

Ogden, Utah, January 7, 2014: Imagine Ballet Theatre (IBT), an Ogden-based ballet company, will hold company auditions on January 18, 2014 at their studios on 2432 Washington Blvd., Suites C & D, in Ogden. Dancers will have the opportunity to audition for the upcoming 2014 performing season as well as the 2014 Summer Dance Intensive program.

Imagine Ballet Theatre’s 2014 performing season will include several performing opportunities for company members, who must be age nine or older. This spring, IBT will prepare and perform a World Premiere new work along with a second presentation of Peter and the Wolf with choreographer by IBT Artistic Director Raymond Van Mason, a former Principal at Ballet West. In February, the company hosts and participates in The Rocky Mountain Choreography Festival, with entries from artists around the nation. IBT will continue its season into December with performances of its acclaimed The Nutcracker, also with choreography by Van Mason. Other performances may be added to the company’s season as opportunities are presented. IBT is widely recognized in the region as providing quality and professional-level performances. IBT received a Utah Best of State Award in 2005, and Mason received a 2006 Utah Best of State Award for Best Choreographer as well as the Ogden Mayor‘s Award for the Arts. Dancers within the company have received recognition and summer scholarships from prestigious ballet companies and organizations such as: The Youth American Grand Prix, American Ballet Theater (NYC), Boston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet (Seattle), The Rock for Dance Education (PA), The Joffrey Ballet School (NY), Ballet West (UT), and others.

Imagine Ballet Theatre’s Summer Dance Intensive also receives national recognition. Dancers who are accepted into the program will have the opportunity to train under professional and former professional dancers from national companies such as Los Angeles Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Ballet West, and Repertory Dance Theater, as well as a former star of Broadway who will teach jazz in the Fosse style. The summer program will offer training in ballet technique, pointe, partnering, modern dance, character development, jazz, choreography and more. Ages for the program are six and up, with an audition required for dancers ages eight and up.

IBT is pleased to announce that several of our artists have received scholarships and awards as a result of their participation in national competitions so far this year. These include Youth America Grand Prix in Los Angeles, Youth America Grand Prix Finals in New York City, and American Ballet Competition in Boston.

Raymond Van Mason, American Ballet Competition 2013. Awarded Excellence in Teaching and 3rd place for the ensemble work in “Turning Back.”

As a result of the experience in Boston, IBT is also pleased to welcome Maria Alejandra, from Bogota, Colombia, as a scholarship recipient for the Summer Intensive program at IBT.

Imagine Ballet Theatre will be hosting their Summer Intensive from July 8th to August 9th, , at IBT Studios, 2432 Washington Blvd. Ogden Utah.

Guest Teachers will include:

Gary Flannery, former star of Broadway and movies, including All That Jazz;Oswaldo Muniz, former dancer for Pennsylvania Ballet, Oklahoma Ballet, and Edward Villella and Dancers; Allynne Noelle, principal dancer for the Los Angeles Ballet and former soloist with Miami City Ballet; and others!

This is a fabulous opportunity for dancers to focus on their art and receive individual expert instruction in a variety of dance genres.A past participant stated, “Summer at IBT changed me as a dancer.It gave me the skills and the confidence to really believe in myself as a performing artist.”

About Imagine Ballet Theatre

Raymond Van Mason, Artistic Director, created IBT in 2004, to offer the company of dancers an opportunity to work with professional artists and foster professional performing experiences. IBT encourages involvement in the arts through The School of Imagine Ballet Theatre and the performing company. Imagine Ballet Theatre has gained national and state recognition by receiving the 2005 Utah Best of State Award for Best Children’s Performing Group, as well as invitations in 2004 & 2006, to perform at “Dance Under The Stars Choreography Festival” at the McCallum Theater in Palm Desert, CA. They returned from the 2006 competition with the Judy G. Mayer Award for Small Groups. In 2005, the company received a certificate of recognition from the Ogden City Council for their contribution to Ogden’s art community. For 2007, the company has been awarded a Utah Performing Arts Touring Grant from the Utah Arts Council. Dancers within the company have received recognition and summer scholarships from prestigious ballet companies such as: American Ballet Theater (NYC), Boston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet (Seattle) The Rock for Dance Education (PA), and others, Ballet Austin, Atlanta Ballet, Bournonville Academy Biarritz (France), Interlochen Center for the Arts, and others.

Gary Flannery is here teaching the dancers some Fosse. This is Gary at the New York Public Library showing of the Great American Revue dancing Mr. Bo Jangles by Bob Fosse.

Also preparing for the show this Friday night at 7:00 pm at Peery’s Egyptain Theater. For tickets call 801-689-8700. $7.50 till Thursday tickets go up on August 10 to $10.00.

My muscles quiver and my mind is plagued with doubt. We are ever fighting, fighting gravity; a fight we will never win. And yet we jump and spin and leap…we fly, always to return to the earth. My pulse matches the beat of the music, I take strength from the unity. I am reminded why I fight with all that is in me, for unattainable perfection. Because perfection is not perfect; perfection is a vulnerable heart and an open soul.

Written by Emma Chase

Week 4

The week ends today. . . I had a wonderful time teaching the girls (and a boy here and there too!) at Imagine Ballet!! The work ethic here is phenomenal, and the girls are so open to receiving and APPLYING corrections! A sure sign of a great dancer indeed . . . It’s been such a fun experience for me, coming back to teach at IBT every summer. I have known some of these girls for years, and seeing them grow up in not only age but also ability has been a true joy! Well done ladies! And well done with a beautiful school Ray! xoxo~ Allynne Noelle

We begin week 4 of our Summer Intensive with Allynne Noelle; a Principal Dancer with Los Angeles Ballet, and Former Soloist of Miami City Ballet.

Allynne as “Odette” in Swan Lake at Los Angeles Ballet.

Week 3 Is coming to an end we have seen the first drafts of the dancers Choreography. There are several piece with power and emotion embodied in the work. Some that need work and some in the middle. Now two weeks to the show and things will shift and become. I hope that you will join us for an exciting evening of dance on August 10th, at 7:00 pm at Peery’s Egyptian Theater cost is only $7.50 before August 9th to help cover the theater costs. Day of Show the cost will be $10.00. So get in and get your tickets now.

Christie Freebairn Perry former Ballet West Dancer has been teaching this week along with Yi Qi Cheng a former dancer National Ballet of China and Former Ballet West Company teacher.

Laurie Sefton comes this week to work on a piece of Choreography. She is one of the winners of the Rocky Mountain Choreography Festival and will be working with the dancers in the Summer intensive on a piece about “Bullying”.

Laurie Sefton 2012 People’s Choice Winner for her Choreography

Performance Day

By Abby Hardin

Inhale slow,

eyes closed.

Jittery sweat fills the air,

and I’m greeted by the aroma,

the smell of work,

of determination.

For years my body has suffered,

achieving perfection;

Enduring blisters,

bruises,

aches,

and pain.

Broken body wrapped in a glittering costume.

Nervous face caked with a deceiving smile.

Exhale slow,

eyes open.

One,

two,

three steps out.

Instantly,

I am transformed.

Convincing even myself I am not what I was.

A creature glides across the stage,

floating,

turning,

dancing,

filled with an unspeakable joy only then attained

yet never forgotten.

One,

two,

three steps back.

Broken body aches,

sweat steeped air is torn through the lungs,

but deceiving smiles now ring with truth,

for I am human again

but forever changed.

Week 2 comes to an end the dancers have focused, danced, ached and thought about dance on many levels. Now time to thank Laurie Sefton and have a donut.

Week 1has begun, as always we all have a few sore muscles, which is pretty normal when you try new things. Ballet, Pointe, Pilates, Yoga, Modern and Choreography all flying around in our heads. Here are two poems written by Phoebe Rust:

Different sizes,
Different shoes.
Different races,
Different moves.
Differences don’t matter
Upon the stage.
Our minds connect
Despite our age.
United, we dance.
Same hopes,
Same vision.
Same dreams,
Same decision.
Similarities bind us
Under the blinding lights.
We speak the same language,
We see the same sights.
United, we dance.

Now my heart is bewildered,
My mind a melted mess.
Now my body aches,
I welcome the feeling.
Now my eyes are alive,
Yet my soul is lost.
Now my ears are open,
But I hear nothing.
Now I am truly me.

I have asked the dancers participating in this years summer intensive to determine their top 5 choices for University programs that offer dance programs along with other fields of study that they are interested in. Here are their Top 5 Picks.

Number 1: University of Utah: For Many of the dancers it is because it is close to home, They offer both Ballet and Modern degrees, Emphasis on performing

Auditions for Imagine Ballet Theatre will take place Jan 28th. This is to become a member of the performing group that presents ballets at the Peery’s Egyptian Theatre. Performances will include The Nutcracker, Alice :Adventures in Wonderland and a new children’s series to take place at our studios. The Fairy Doll will be the first ballet created.

9:30 Registration

10:00-12:00 Ages 9 to 11

11:30 Registration

12:00-2:00 Ages 12 and up

Please be prepared to dance with a resume and dance photo in First Arabesque.

Audition fee is $25.00

Former Alumni Sarah Guyon

Ballet West dancer Christopher Sellars

Ogden, Utah, January 16, 2012: Imagine Ballet Theatre (IBT), an Ogden-based ballet company, will hold company auditions on January 28, 2012 at their studios on 2432 Washington Blvd., Suites C & D, in Ogden. Dancers will have the opportunity to audition for the upcoming 2012 performing season as well as the 2012 Summer Dance Intensive program.

Imagine Ballet Theatre’s 2012 performing season will include several performing opportunities for company members, who must be age nine or older. This spring, IBT will revisit their exciting production of Alice: Adventures in Wonderland with choreography by IBT Artistic Director Raymond Van Mason, a former Principal Dancer with Ballet West and international choreographer, and score by Joseph Horovitz. The company will continue its season with a new ballet Called “The Fairy Doll” , with music by Josef Bayer, originally this ballet debuted in 1888 in Russia. This ballet will be staged for the IBT Studio’s as a piece for young audiences. Then onto December with performances of its acclaimed The Nutcracker, also with choreography by Van Mason. Other performances may be added to the company’s season as opportunities are presented. The company is widely recognized in the region as providing quality and professional-level performances. IBT received a Utah Best of State Award in 2005, and Mason received a 2006 Utah Best of State Award for Best Choreographer as well as the Ogden Mayor‘s Award for the Arts. Dancers within the company have received recognition and summer scholarships from prestigious ballet companies and organizations such as: The Youth American Grand Prix, American Ballet Theater (NYC), Boston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet (Seattle), The Rock for Dance Education (PA), The Joffrey Ballet School (NY), Ballet West (UT), and others.

Imagine Ballet Theatre’s Summer Dance Intensive is also gaining recognition. Dancers who are accepted into the program will have the opportunity to receive training from professional and former professional dancers from national companies such as Miami City Ballet, Ballet West, and Repertory Dance Theater, as well as a former star of Broadway who will teach jazz in the Fosse style. The summer program will offer training in ballet technique, pointe, partnering, modern dance, character development, jazz, choreography and more. Ages for the program are six and up, with an audition required for dancers ages eight and up. The program concludes with a performance at the Peery’s Egyptian Theater.

For more information about Imagine Ballet Theatre and its upcoming performances and other dance opportunities, please visit www.imagineballet.org.

About Imagine Ballet Theatre

Imagine Ballet Theatre (IBT) is in residence at Peery’s Egyptian Theater in Ogden, Utah. Raymond Van Mason, Artistic Director, created the company in 2004, to offer the company of dancers an opportunity to work with professional artists and foster professional performing experiences. IBT encourages involvement in the arts through The School of Imagine Ballet Theatre and the performing company. Imagine Ballet Theatre has gained national and state recognition by receiving the 2005 Utah Best of State Award for Best Children’s Performing Group, as well as invitations in 2004 & 2006, to perform at “Dance Under The Stars Choreography Festival” at the McCallum Theater in Palm Desert, CA. They returned from the 2006 competition with the Judy G. Mayer Award for Small Groups. In 2005, the company received a certificate of recognition from the Ogden City Council for their contribution to Ogden’s art community. Dancers within the company have received recognition and summer scholarships from prestigious ballet companies such as: American Ballet Theater (NYC), Boston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet (Seattle), The Rock for Dance Education (PA), The Joffrey Ballet School (NY), and others.

About Van Mason

As well as being the Artistic Director and Founder of Imagine Ballet Theatre, Van Mason is an independent choreographer, guest artist and master ballet teacher. Ballet West, Ballet Pacifica, Ballet GranDiva, numerous regional ballet companies and universities have performed his choreographic works. His works have been performed in New York City at Ballet Builders’ New Choreographers on Pointe and filmed by the Lloyd Rigler Foundation for the Classic Arts Showcase. In 2006, he received a Utah Best of State Award for Choreography and the Ogden City Mayor’s Award for the Arts in Dance. While with Ballet West, as a principal artist, he danced many of the leading roles in such ballets as: Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker and Giselle, to name a few. He has performed as a guest artist with The Stars of the San Francisco Ballet in Marsielle, France. Mason holds a BFA in Ballet from the University of Utah.

Our 2011 Summer Intensive Performance is winding to a close, and with only two more weeks of classes the dancers are working hard as they finish the five-week dance program. A final performance showing their progress and performance pieces will be held August 12th at the Peery’s Egyptian Theater at 7:00 pm. Tickets are available through the Peery’s Egyptian Theater box office or online at smithstix.com.

IBT’s Summer Dance Intensive spans five weeks and six hours a day during the week. The dancers focus on ballet technique for two hours each day, while the afternoons are dedicated to variations, pointe, and other styles of dance. These other styles include modern, contemporary ballet, jazz, and choreography. The dancers have also had the opportunity to prepare their own pieces of choreography throughout the summer in preparation for the Summer Dance Sampler performance.

Joining the dancers on stage will be Gary Flannery, a former star of Broadway and Bob Fosse’s principal dancer for many years. Mr. Flannery will be performing the legendary “Mr. Bojangles” piece, which was originally choreographed by Bob Fosse for him.

Don’t miss this exciting evening of dance! The dancers, guest instructors, and IBT faculty look forward to sharing their summer’s work with you!

WHERE: Peery’s Egyptian Theater, 2415 Washington Blvd., Ogden

WHEN: Friday, August 12th

TICKETS: $7.50 each, available online at Smiths Tix or via the box office